Dallin Grantmyre, left, and Kristy Bender. Photo courtesy Kristy Pender/FacebookDallin Grantmyre, left, and Kristy Bender. Photo courtesy Kristy Pender/Facebook
Windsor

GoFundMe page set up for unborn twins with heart ailments

Friends and family of a Windsor-Essex couple are turning to the community as they face a challenge with their unborn twins.

A GoFundMe page has been set up for Kristy Pender and her fiance, Dallin Grantmyre, to help cover prenatal care and eventual surgery for their unborn twins, Ella and Sophia. Both have been diagnosed with a congenital heart defect known as tetralogy of Fallot, or literally, hole in the heart.

According to the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health, the tetralogy of Fallot consists of four specific heart defects.

• Pulmonary stenosis, or narrowing of the artery

• Ventricular septal defect, a hole in the wall that separates the two ventricles of the heart

• Overriding aorta, located over the septal defect, resulting in oxygen-deficient blood flowing from the right ventricle directly to the aorta

• Right ventricular hypertrophy, in which the right ventricle is thicker than usual because it has to work harder

Kristy's mother Sherry set up the GoFundMe page.

"They were told the babies will be born in Toronto by C-Section in May of 2022," wrote Sherry. "With Kristy already on medical leave, they are now short on funds due to having to travel back and forth to Toronto and London for all appointments. They have to book hotel rooms the evening before because appointments are scheduled too early. Dallin recently started a new job and will need to take time off as well. It is uncertain how long they will need to stay in Toronto once the babies are born. Both parents and babies have a long journey ahead of them and any and all financial assistance is needed."

The couple was thrilled after getting the news in September 2021 that they would be parents of twin girls. Five weeks into the pregnancy, Kristy was put on medical leave and declared high-risk, and has been on strict bed rest. Testing was begun in Windsor and more extensive evaluations were done in London, and that's when doctors told Kristy and Dallin about the problem.

Ultrasound images of twins Ella and Sophia. Image courtesy Kristy Pender/Facebook. Ultrasound images of twins Ella and Sophia. Image courtesy Kristy Pender/Facebook.

"Sophia’s case is less emergent, she is expected to be stable and have her surgery within three to six months after birth," wrote Kristy on the GoFundMe page. "Ella’s situation is much more severe because she not only has the heart condition, but she is also missing a very important component, a valve, that allows oxygen and blood flow from heart to lungs. She will need a shunt immediately after birth, and then an additional surgery where they will construct a valve for her to transport blood and oxygen to her lungs."
Ella's predicament means that Kristy and Dallin will have to stay in Toronto for a month while treatment continues at SickKids Hospital. Kristy was placed on strict bed rest, with the goal of the twins reaching full term.

There are also prenatal appointments set for SickKids Hospital and Mount Sinai Hospital for monitoring and birth preparation.

As of Friday evening, over $3,600 were pledged toward an $8,000 goal. The funds will help the couple pay for travel, gas, food, doctor's appointments, and lodging in Toronto, as well as rent on their current home.

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